It seemed like the judges liked London’s duck. A lot.
But they also liked Lizzie’s lamb.
“I’m going to die,” Dahlia whispered.
Barbara gave her hand a squeeze. Cath was leaning forward in her chair now, backward baseball cap on. She was silent, too, but gave Dahlia a quick nudge with her knee.
London swiped the back of their hand over their forehead as they walked back to their station to start prepping for dessert. They looked tired now. Dahlia wondered if anyone would mind if she just popped down, real quick, to kiss them.
London was making a coconut key lime pie. Lizzie was making macarons. Dahlia was worried. Macarons seemed more technically advanced, more impressive. Dahlia sat up straight and made sure she was breathing from her abdomen. She focused on this, inhaling and exhaling, and watched.
She could tell when it was done that London was pleased. They even smiled a bit. They plated three perfect slices, sprinkled on toasted coconut and an extra dollop of whipped cream for presentation. They stood back from their station, hands on their hips. Their hair flopped down over their eyes. They needed a haircut, Dahlia thought absently.
And then she realized they were done.
London had officially finished their last meal on Chef’s Special.
Dahlia’s heart started to swell when Audra took an extra bite of London’s pie. And then Tanner took an extra bite of his.
Sai Patel ate the whole slice.
The judges left the stage to deliberate, and London and Lizzie had a break.
“Don’t you want to go down there?” Barbara asked as London walked over to their family.
Dahlia watched Julie jump out of her seat and hug them. She reached up and yanked on London’s hair and said something. Dahlia smiled, wondering if she had just told them to get a haircut.
Then Julie ran her finger near London’s left eye.
Dahlia could make it out slightly, even from a distance. Maybe some eyeliner action? London with makeup. God, it was sexy as hell.
“Not yet,” Dahlia said to Barbara. She watched Charlotte run a reassuring hand along London’s shoulder.
She had met them all this morning, in the lobby of the hotel. It felt . . . strange, meeting them without London, but Julie had pulled her into a death grip hug as soon as she’d seen Dahlia slinking by. So Dahlia had hugged her back, and then hugged all of them, and it had felt good.
Well, she hugged everyone except for London’s dad. Who remained seated now.
And then London looked up at the rest of the audience, put a hand over their eyes, squinting.
Dahlia’s stomach swooshed.
They found her. Dropped their hand.
And slowly, adorably, they grinned.
Dahlia smiled back so fast and so hard that her cheeks hurt.
And then Julie smacked London on the back of the head. London turned to her, mouth moving quick, and Dahlia saw Jackie and Sara’s shoulders shaking with laughter.
Janet ran over and dragged London away, probably for a solo interview. Dahlia sat back in her chair, a hand on her chest, and attempted to slow her pulse. She tried to reassemble her face into a more normal expression and found she could not.
Beside her, Cath chuckled. Barbara cleared her throat.
Dahlia glanced between them.
“Shut up.”
Cath laughed harder. Barbara simply reached over and squeezed her hand.
After what seemed an eternity, the finalists and the judges returned. London and Lizzie were called to the Golden Circle.
Sai prattled on for a while about what a fantastic season it had been, what an amazing finale, how close it was, blah blah blah. Dahlia squeezed her knees together. She had let go of Barbara’s hand, finally, to grip the corners of her chair.
When Audra Carnegie said it, Dahlia didn’t feel surprise, just relief that this entire thing was over now. She could breathe. God, she really had to pee, but she’d been too nervous to move for the last three hours.
Julie jumped out of her seat and threw a clenched fist in the air, like she’d just made a three-pointer.
Their dad stood and clapped.
And then Lizzie turned and stomped off the set.
Barbara gasped. “That bitch,” she breathed.
Dahlia couldn’t even take this in, how unprecedented and awful it was, because all she could see was London. London, smiling, shaking the judges’ hands. London, covered in glitter falling from the ceiling. Oh dear. London hated glitter.
London, turning toward the audience as their family ran to them. London, looking over the heads of Julie, Jackie, Sara, even as they hugged them. London, looking for her.
Barbara nudged her. “You’re really not going to go down there?”